Friday evening saw Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani and Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj walk out of a Cabinet Committee straight into a special screening of the to-be-released Asoka.

Directed by Santosh Sivan the film stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor.

SRK hopes that his film will receive a nomination for the Academy awards. The mega-budget film is among the entries from India along with Aamir Khan's Lagaan.

Ghai's Film Institute

Director Subhash Ghai is keen on constructing a state-of-the-art training facility for aspiring filmmakers in Bombay.

Thespian Dilip Kumar preformed the bhumipooja for first training institute for budding actors and filmmakers -- Whistling Woods. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 25 crore.

Ghai said that the institute would teach people about film, TV and the other media arts. The institute which opens in October 2002 will provide aspiring actors and filmmakers a chance to find their first foothold in the film industry.

Interior decoration and Twinkle

Twinkle Khanna's professional life is going great guns.

And besides her film career, it's her interior designing business that's flourishing too. And the latest celebrity to join the bandwagon of Twinkle's high-society clientele is Tabu.

The Chandni Bar actress has roped Twinkle in to redecorate her swanky, spacious Green Acres' abode in Bombay.

Vashu on the prowl

Vashu Bhagnani is one producer who keeps his ears to the ground.

We spotted him at one of the suburban theatres at the first show of his latest release Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein. With director Gautam Menon in tow, the duo were hoping to get some audience feedback for the film.

And going by the whistles and applause the film received, we're sure that he's on top of the world right now.

Compiled By: Vivek Fernandes
Design: Imran Shaikh